Ox wagon makes another trek

A CENTURY-OLD ox wagon was transported from Windhoek’s Alte Feste Museum to the Owela Museum this week to form part of an exhibition marking the museum’s centenary.

The exhibition, titled ‘From Landesmuseum to National Museum of Namibia 1907-2007 – A century of Heritage Conservation’ will be opened by the Minister of Culture, John Mutorwa, on October 5. This ox wagon was built in South Africa and came into Namibia before 1900.It was bought by Adrian Esterhuizen and his family used it to transport goods between Upington and Warmbad.The transport business was later extended to Keetmanshoop.In 1907, Baron von Wolf was looking for a reputable transporter to move building material from Aus to the Duwisib Castle under construction near Maltahoehe.The building material was shipped from Europe to Luederitz and from there to Aus by railway.The Esterhuizen family was awarded the tender to transport the material from Aus to Duwisib Castle with the ox wagon.In 1922 Esterhuizen bought the farm Vrede near Maltahoehe and used the ox wagon for the next couple of years on the farm as well as in the transport business.The sons inherited the farm and all the property, among which was the ox wagon.In the 1970s a W Scheide bought the piece of the farm on which the ox wagon stood and in 1978 it was finally discovered by the Cultural Historian of the museum, Magdalena Brand.Brand was on a tour of the farms in the South when she discovered the ox wagon and other items of historic value.Negotiations between the museum and Scheide resulted in the ox wagon being collected in 1979 by Neels Coetzee, the director of the museum, and Peter Buys, the chief technician.Since 1979 the ox wagon has been standing at the Alte Feste Museum and is the oldest wagon in the museum.This ox wagon was built in South Africa and came into Namibia before 1900.It was bought by Adrian Esterhuizen and his family used it to transport goods between Upington and Warmbad.The transport business was later extended to Keetmanshoop.In 1907, Baron von Wolf was looking for a reputable transporter to move building material from Aus to the Duwisib Castle under construction near Maltahoehe.The building material was shipped from Europe to Luederitz and from there to Aus by railway.The Esterhuizen family was awarded the tender to transport the material from Aus to Duwisib Castle with the ox wagon.In 1922 Esterhuizen bought the farm Vrede near Maltahoehe and used the ox wagon for the next couple of years on the farm as well as in the transport business.The sons inherited the farm and all the property, among which was the ox wagon.In the 1970s a W Scheide bought the piece of the farm on which the ox wagon stood and in 1978 it was finally discovered by the Cultural Historian of the museum, Magdalena Brand.Brand was on a tour of the farms in the South when she discovered the ox wagon and other items of historic value.Negotiations between the museum and Scheide resulted in the ox wagon being collected in 1979 by Neels Coetzee, the director of the museum, and Peter Buys, the chief technician.Since 1979 the ox wagon has been standing at the Alte Feste Museum and is the oldest wagon in the museum.